Badminton Cook Islands has a busy year ahead, starting with the VICTOR Oceania Championships 2024 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

Thomas Mereana-Ngauru, president of Cook Islands Badminton Association, says they have the Oceania Champs in four weeks’ time in Geelong with three teams of 16 players taking part.

According to Badminton Oceania, the Oceania Championships fall within the Olympic qualification period and present a perfect opportunity for players to gain valuable world ranking points towards qualification on the Road to Paris. The tournament will attract around 200 players and support staff from the 14 Oceania member countries.

The Oceania Championships (individual events) will be held from February 12-15, followed by the Oceania Men’s and Women’s Team Championships from February 16-18.

Additionally, the Pacific U17 Training Camp will be held on February 14 and 15, and the Pacific U17 Team Challenge will take place from February 16-18. Mereana-Ngauru expresses gratitude to Bank Cook Islands (BCI) as their major sponsor.

Other notable 2024 events include the Masters in Paradise in May in Rarotonga, the AIMS Games in September in Tauranga, New Zealand, and the World Junior Champs in China in October.

Also starting this year is a Junior U17 programme to prepare selected players for the Youth Olympics in 2026.